Neighbors nervous as gunman remains at large

About 12:15 a.m., officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 1600 block of E Plaza in the Houston Moore complex.

By F.T. NortonFran.Norton@StarNewsOnline.com

Officers tried to save a 25-year-old man who died Thursday morning after being shot, the 911 call for the fatal shooting in the Houston Moore housing complex revealed. Rahman Olawale Liadi, 25, is Wilmington's first homicide of the year. Officers found Liadi about 12:15 a.m lying on a sidewalk next to the playground with at least one gunshot wound to his chest, said Wilmington police Lt. Tom Witkowski. The unknown assailant fled, Witkowski said. In the 911 call, an officer tells a dispatcher needs back up and his partners are working on the victim. "I need units out here. We're going to get a crowd out here now. We've got CPR in progress," an officer says. One of the responding officers also reported seeing a man run across Greenfield Street near 13th Street headed east toward Garden Lake estates. Police were on scene in under two minutes, 911 records indicate. Witkowski said he was uncertain if officers were able to locate that person. The area where Liadi's body was found was roped off by crime scene tape for more than eight hours Thursday as investigators scoured for clues. Witkowski said investigators have no indication that the shooting was preceded by a fight. Only two callers from the 18-building, 150-unit complex called 911 to report hearing gunshots. "Somebody is shooting in Houston Moore near the Board of Education," one woman said quietly. When asked what her telephone number was she became afraid. "No, I'm not giving my number. I just want you all to come out here because they don't need to be shooting."As the call ends, the timid woman says, "Don't tell nobody I called.""We wont' tell anybody anything, OK," the dispatcher replied. "I'm just helping out," the woman explains. On his Facebook page, Liadi says he is from Winnabow and lives in Leland. Witkowski said Liadi did not appear to be staying in the complex where his body was found. One man, who asked to be identified only as Paul, lives just doors away from where Liadi was found. He said when he got home from work at 6 a.m. the police still had the area roped off.He said he has lived in the complex for a year and hadn't had any problems before Thursday morning."It's kind of scary. I'm a little bit on edge about it," the Camden, N.J., native said. "I'm quite sure everybody's on edge as well. I hope they catch the killer."Anyone with information about the murder is asked to call the Wilmington Police Department at 343-3600. Information also may be submitted anonymously through Text-A-Tip. Enter Tip708 and the information, and send to 274637 (CRIMES).